Breeze
by kalobuko
Summary: All the girls are included in this one. Here's the theme: breezes and falling. Don't ask me why!


breeze

  
April 5, 2001  
Casey Lou  
  
Relena stood up and pushed away a folder full of contracts and reports. She loosened the tie from about her neck and unbuttoned her cuffs. The large, draped windows behind her desk were thrown open at her will and let in a gust of wind, scattering the stacks of paper on her desk to the floor. She closed her eyes and listened to the birds, letting the wind blow over her, freeing her hair from its delicate twist. Climbing over the sill, she heard her secretary start wailing. Relena smiled a bit and began diligently treading white, ivy-laced trellis down the side of her mansion.  
  
The sky was clear and Hilde didn't bother to look for puddles on the road ahead of her. She walked with an obvious spring in her step, her goulashes and rain coat slick with fresh rain. Her hair was damp and her baggy t-shirt and shorts were protected beneath her bright yellow rain slicker. A few children stomping in puddles and making flower necklaces giggled and laughed, following her. Hilde sang out a song and danced free spiritedly through the part, her scarf billowing in the breeze just as birds flew and mothers began chasing after their renegade children.  
  
It was humid in the tent, and Catherine retreated fleetingly, practically tearing her way out from behind the canvas. Trowa was padding slowly behind her, removing his mask, looking at her peculiarly. She pulled a single earring from her ear and removed her wrist bands, yanking off her feathered head band and throat collar. Snapping her legs, she kicked off the pestering shoes in the mud and yanked at her gauzy skirt. An old wind that had traversed the world graced her, rifling through her curly hair, drawing her eyes to a nearby oak tree.   
  
Seated high up on a building towering over mainstream L4, Dorothy dangled her feet over the edge and peered down onto passing traffic. She sighed as the cool gusts of choppy air flew over her from a thudding helicopter. Her hair tossed about in the wind and she leaned dangerously out over her knees, almost losing a pump in the process. When it fell from her foot after she reached for it, she laughed out loud and watched it tumble. It landed squarely on the concrete near a pedestrian who looked up and swore at her. Dorothy called out a sorry and took a deep breath of fresh, crisp air.  
  
Smelly cigarette ashes and the rank stench of old coffee dregs drove Sally out of the lounge, though the ordeals should have made her frown, she was smiling. A few interns bumbled at the Xerox while she walked out of the office area. Her smile and quirky chuckle caused nearby workers to watch her as she walked confidently past her office, where Wufei was standing hesitantly. She patted his shoulder and saluted indolently. He was about to say something, his hand outstretched, mouth opened to form words. But she wasn't there to listen, by the time he'd gathered his wits, she was out the door and bypassing the elevator to skip down the stairwell.  
  
Noin removed the helmet of her Astro Suit and ran her fingers through her hair. The control panel was giving nothing but good readings, and the ruddy orange globe of Mars on display hovered in a mass of black oil like an inviting omen. She got up, releasing her seat restraint, and floated herself out of the piloting area. Not bothering to switch on the artificial gravity, she grappled with the walls and started cutting flips, happy with the good day's work she'd put in by herself. The mess hall was waiting, and she jerked open a bin containing her favorites. M&M's. The bag opened easily, yet awkwardly in her gloved hands. The rainbow of tiny dollops spewed out and Noin made sport of catching them.  
  
It's about time I saw the sun.  
Miss Darlian! Miss Darlian, you have a meeting in five minutes! Please come back!  
She continued walking, past trees and along the wayward path winding to the front gate where she would surely find someplace better to go.  
  
I wanna walk, walk, Hilde sang, I wanna walk, walk, walk all day long. Because the day is new and my legs are strong. Sing it with me, kids!   
The children laughed and paraded along with her as she spun and ducked behind swing sets, dancing and leading them on like the Pied Piper, the mothers exhausted and watching from a nearby water fountain.  
  
The ringleader peeked out of the tent and scowled at Catherine, who was now hoisting herself up to the tree with all her effort. Catherine! You're on! Get down and get inside! Trowa's almost done with his lion act! CATHERINE!  
Just climbing a tree...   
  
What are you doing on the roof, Dorothy?  
What am I doing on the roof?  
She looked back as if it were normal to stare death in the face like she was. Her associate made a pleading face for her to come back in.  
There's no harm, she muttered, standing up and balancing herself--shoeless--on the edge, in enjoying life, is there?  
  
Sally, I have reports for you to look over, Wufei called down the stairwell.  
She laughed out loud, causing it to reverberate through the cavernous space. Leave it on my desk, I'll get to it sooner or later.  
He huffed angrily,   
Taking the steps by twos, then back up and down again, Sally hopped and took her lively time getting to the main floor. She tossed off her jacket and broke the heels off of her shoes in a feat of strength. Today's too fun to do work all the time. Too fun.  
  
Noin? Noin, are you responding?  
Zechs calls, Noin smirked, spinning after a pesky yellow M&M. I'm here! I'm...retrieving...data.  
Noin? Noin? Where are you? Did you speak to Preventer? Noin?  
She crunched down on the M&M and trailed after a green one, her eyes widening, causing a boisterous giggle. Zechs, do you know the lore about green M  
he barked, M&M's? Noin, stop messing around.  
Heh heh heh heh, she snagged the M&M and darted to the visual panel where he was irritated and short tempered.   
Throwing the M&M at the screen, she puckered her lips and gave him a thumbs up. Take a moment, dear Zechs, and I'll be right back with you when I've retrieved all my data.  
  
The grass was dewy on the incline of the road, and Relena had to be wary of where she was stepping. She balanced and kept her eyes on the ground, until she heard the gateway intercom buzz to life. Her eyes sought a car, but saw only a young man. A strikingly familiar one. Breathing ceased, and one faulty step caused her to go down, along with buckled knees and a dazed lightheadedness. A jovial smile and a giggle came from her as the only sign of safety. The visitor stared.  
  
  
  
Hilde had peaked at the top of the jungle gym, and the children were handing by their legs on their own levels. The mothers were shaking their heads at this seemingly well groomed young lady, who had taken their children and led them on a wild goose chase through the part, splashing not only in the puddles but also the fountain. Beyond the mothers, however, Hilde spied a happy face. Her goulashes betrayed her and she toppled, sliding right down the side of the domed jungle gym to land oddly in the wet sand with a thud like a rag doll. Giggles radiated from her and her watchers.  
Nice going, Hilde, Duo laughed, standing over her. You're a bad influence.  
Hilde smiled as the other children screamed with laughter and fell to the sand as well, sending their mothers into another fit.   
  
the ringleader was standing at the base of the tree now. Come down before I come get you!  
She smiled and crossed her arms. A thought struck her and she let her balance pull her back, purposefully crashing flat on her back to the soggy ground just out of spite. Trowa was standing close now, arching an eyebrow as the ring leader stomped and seethed at his sister.  
I'm taking a breath, Catherine wheezed, her arms still crossed, trembling with rumbling laughter in her belly, of fresh air!  
  
D-Dorothy, what are y-you doing?  
She swayed and turned her back on the streets, shrugging with a grin tugging the corners of her mouth up. Her hair lifted with another annoying helicopter pass. The man who'd come out to find her, held up his hands, expecting something strange to happen.   
Stop worrying so much, Dorothy chuckled, making a three-sixty.   
Out of the man's view, she removed her jacked, revealing a harness, and kneeled down. Gathering leverage, she swung close to the edge and sprang out over the top, immediately hurtling down. Todd, the man who'd come to investigate, yelled and ran to follow her progress. Suddenly, a suspension cable shot from the helicopter and surprisingly--almost impossibly--grabbed onto the large metal ring looped into the harness Dorothy wore. He almost fainted as she pivoted and reeled, filling the air and the streets below with her musical laughter. A man in a limo below her looked out of the sun roof and gawked.  
Is that...Dorothy?  
What, what did you say, Mr. Winner? the chauffer queried as Quatre stood up in the limo, half in half out of the sun roof.  
  
Sally situated herself on the railing and slid down a portion of the stairs between floor three and two. Wufei had been secretly watching, angered further when she started sliding.   
he growled.  
she yelped, tripping up on one of the bars and stumbling down the rest of the stairs to floor two, then warbling like a choked parakeet.   
At the end of her episode, she was spread eagle on the second floor lift, with Wufei taking the steps slowly, scoffing. Look at what you've done to yourself.  
She didn't get mad, just laughed, face down, and grabbed his foot, successfully knocking him down with her.  
  
Zechs called again, but Noin didn't hear him, and didn't know that he was in the shuttle.  
He caught a glimpse of her chasing a group of three red M&M's, then searched for a nearby control sector. When he found it, he ruthlessly, yet with a bit of glee, he switched on the artificial gravity and listened for the crash. Noin bayed and scrambled to collect her M&M's.  
Time to get back to work, he said neatly, come on. Eat your candy and quit goofing off, Preventer Fire.  
she harrumphed, unseen, popping a chocolate candy into her mouth without the aide of zero g.   
Then, she laughed and ran to shut off the gravity, so she could finish her hunt and waste time on break, though it wouldn't be missed. With a shrug, Zechs let her have some fun and contacted Preventer on his own, with Noin's youthful titter sounding all around him like a melody. He'd almost forgotten that Noin had been the closet kidder in the academy. She screeched and commanded orders at the M&M's as he tried to brief Preventer.  
  
And they all fell happily ever after.


End file.
